Health officials worry about second wave of coronavirus after George Floyd unrest
Dr. Janette Nesheiwat says she is concerned for doctors already treating COVID-19 patients as large groups gather in cities to protest.
Oklahoma State linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga revealed on Tuesday that he tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a protest in Tulsa.
Ogbongbemiga, 21, a second-team All-Big 12 selection who finished with 100 tackles and five sacks last year, made the announcement on Twitter, adding that he was protective of himself and others.
"After attending a protest in Tulsa AND being well protective of myself, I have tested positive for COVID-19. Please, if you are going to protest, take care of yourself, and stay safe," he wrote.
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It's unclear which protest he attended in the city, although some were reportedly held over the weekend and early this week, Tulsa's KTUL reported.
"The incubation period for COVID-19 is thought to extend to 14 days, with a median time of 4-5 days from exposure to symptoms onset," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
His positive test comes as health officials in the U.S. have raised concerns that the nationwide protests over the George Floyd death in police custody could spark a wider spread of the coronavirus amid months of stay-at-home orders to limit virus's spread.
The packed mass demonstrations have seen many without masks, some chanting, shouting or singing. Those transmission methods, along with coughing and sneezing, are ways the virus can be dispersed through microscopic droplets in the air. It's mainly thought to spread from person to person contact within close distances, the CDC added.
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Protesters pack the plaza in front of the Oklahoma State Capitol during a Black Lives Matter protest during nationwide unrest following the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., May 31, 2020. REUTERS/Nick Oxford - RC210H95SWOK
“I remain concerned about the public health consequences both of individual and institutional racism [and] people out protesting in a way that is harmful to themselves and to their communities,” Surgeon General Jerome Adams said in an interview with Politico published Monday.
“Based on the way the disease spreads, there is every reason to expect that we will see new clusters and potentially new outbreaks moving forward,” Adams said.
Adams said he understands the frustrations from the African-American community following the actions of Derek Chauvin, the officer who kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes.
He added there's still much to do in order to help with the coronavirus recovery process among communities of color and throughout all of America, which could be delayed further due to the protests.
The U.S. has seen more than 1,831,821 infections and at least 106,000 deaths from the virus, which has disproportionately affected racial minorities.
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“There is going to be a lot to do after this, even to try and get the communities of color back to where they need to be for people to be able to recover from Covid, and for people to be able to recover from the shutdown and to be able to prosper," he told Politico.
Fox News' Edmund DeMarche contributed to this report
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